


The Perfect Rose

by BigBossMaker



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Can a robot have daddy issues?, Modern, Not in the Constant, Other, Past Abuse, Robot Feels, Robot/Human Relationships, Roseate AU, Roseate Skins, Slow Burn, hopefully
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29119545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigBossMaker/pseuds/BigBossMaker
Summary: Purpose. That is what matters to a robot and what a robot must follow! Or is it?Perhaps Wilson can show WX-78 an alternative as to how they can go about their existence.After all, they're not living if a pre-destined 'purpose' was all they followed.This plays in modern time as for the love of god, I do not have the time or willpower to actually put in the effort of researching things from a not so modern stand-point!Roseate AU, therefore-Roseate Skins because creating my own headcanons and such is very fun to me.The base story is somewhat made on what I've RPed with my girlfriend, so take that as you will!
Relationships: Wilson/WX-78 (Don't Starve)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 9





	1. Discovery; Rosy Robot

**Author's Note:**

> I'm more of a Roleplayer than an author, so forgive me if it's a bit wonky how I wrote it all and such, I've just been sort of bored and felt like writing this kind of thing!

Wilson let out a little sigh. Walking around and trying to find more roses to add to his collection. The snow had finally melted and such. Some flowers blooming... but he was not looking for any old flowers. _Roses._ He's looking for _roses._ Pushing bushes aside and avoiding getting his clothes snagged on any branches of the sort. He shouldn't expect many roses considering Spring was just beginning and all! But still, his hope remained!  
...  
That and it was getting sort of boring to sit in his greenhouse all day. Jumping over tree trunks, avoiding thorny bushes that hadn't quite gotten their greens back- he finally saw what looked to be... a rose! Growing on top of a boulder! Not what he expected- but eureka!!  
  
Wilson fixed his wild hair, careful of his red streak and all as he walked over. Reaching out to examine the plant...  
Only to realize it wasn't growing on the big boulder at all. It was instead growing on moss that was on... some rose tinted... metal??  
Walking around the boulder to examine what in the name of science and the stars was before him right now, his eyes widened!  
  
A robot sat still on the ground. An actual robot!! With moss growing all over them... and on that moss, some lovely red roses. Vines grew around their legs and arms too. Roots. He was pretty sure he could see _some_ rust on them too. They looked unmoving... abandoned, maybe? Wilson stared at them before slowly reaching out to poke them...  
However they twitched before he could make any contact with them, causing him to take a couple steps back in surprise!  
  
"..."  
Their head moved slowly. Slightly to the left. Slightly to the right. Then... their gaze seemingly settled on Wilson. A quiet little static emitting from them.  
".............."  
Just as Wilson was about to open his mouth to say something, a glitched creaking noise emitted before it was cut off and suddenly! Came a synthetic and loud voice from the robot!  
"HELLO!"  
This was weird. Right? He wasn't the only one who thought this was weird? Well- not like he has many people to ask at the moment...  
Awkwardly raising a hand to... wave. Towards them?  
  
"Oh-! Uh... you- you talk...  
And... are loud-  
Oh, wow."  
If he were a scientist, he may be moreso freaking out about this... being. After all- robots??? That's incredible! However, Wilson saw himself more as a...  
...  
Well, botanist isn't the right word... he was so much more focused in purely on roses...  
Maybe rose-tologist? Is that a thing? Probably not.  
But, the gentleman rose-tologist wasn't going to let that sway him.  
"Uhh... You have... things on you."  
  
"I AM AWARE! NICE TO KNOW THAT YOUR OPTICAL SENSORS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL, THOUGH!"  
That sounded rude... though their robotic tone held no mean tune to it. Or maybe it's because they're a robot. Wilson really wasn't an expert on this!  
  
"Eyes."  
He corrected... But they looked around curiously, seemingly ignoring his correction. As if in utter wonder at the world around them!  
  
"THERE IS NO WHITE STUFF."  
  
"White stuff-?"  
  
"THE COLD WHITE. THAT FELL FROM THE SKY. IT COVERED THE GROUND AND FELT COLD! BUT IT WAS SOFT. SOME SORT OF POWDER?"  
  
"Oh- no, no, no! Not powder- it-  
It's... snow. Do you not know what snow is?"  
They stared at him blankly.  
"Snow... comes during the winter. From clouds. Snow only comes when it's really cold!"  
  
"OH."  
The robot blinked a couple of times. Then looked down at the roots. Wiggling their legs a bit, but they were kept down rather tightly by the roots. Weird how something with a metal face could look... tired?  
"ANOTHER SEASON HAS PASSED THEN, DESPITE IT ONLY BEING A COUPLE DAYS OR MORE SINCE LAST ONLINE..."  
  
"Last online?"  
  
"I WAS ONLINE A LONG WHILE AGO, I WOULD WAGER. SINCE I REMEMBER SHUTTING DOWN SURROUNDED BY THIS... 'SNOW'."  
  
"There was some like... three days ago or so... not much. But still. And even though there was snow, you just... sat down here? Wouldn't that be cold? Ah- well. I suppose you wouldn't feel any cold, being made of metal and such..."  
Wilson rubbed the back of his neck. The robot was staring at him again and he couldn't tell by their blank expression if that was an okay thing or a _very_ bad thing that he just said??  
  
"FALSE. I AM CAPABLE OF FEELING COLD. AND FEELING HEAT. MY MECHANISMS, MORE SPECIFICALLY. THEY CAN FREEZE UP AND ALSO OVERHEAT. SO YOUR ASSUMPTION IS FALSE."  
They'd yet to really move at all during that whole explanation. Funny to Wilson since he was prone to often moving his hands and gesturing when explaining anything.  
  
"Well... why didn't you leave then? If you were feeling cold or... hot...? Then why not leave this spot? There's countless vines and moss growing on you."  
  
"YES. I HAVE NOTICED. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED- NICE TO KNOW THAT YOUR OPTICAL SENSORS, KNOWN AS- QUOTE ON QUOTE; 'EYES' AS YOU SO POLITELY CORRECTED ME ON, ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL."  
Wilson blinked. So they _were_ listening earlier then...  
  
"So...?"  
  
Silence was had for a moment.  
Then- the robot tilted their head slightly.  
  
"SO...?"  
  
"Why not move?"  
  
"I AM UNABLE TO."  
  
"Because of the roots and such?"  
  
"PARTLY."  
A little sigh escaped them. Their eyes lidding before shutting. Weird, Wilson had no idea that a face made of metal could have expressions like this...?  
"I HAVE SAT HERE FOR... APPROXIMATELY, 10 SEASONS. THE BEGINNING WAS DURING A SUMMER. DAY 37 OF SUMMER, TO BE SPECIFIC."  
Wilson blinked... so if he's got this straight... the robot has sat here for over two whole years since the... what, 7th of July??  
  
"Why??"  
Staring at the little robot in complete shock, wonder and curiousity... stars above, the technology that must have been required to create such a machine... and it still functions! They didn't look like they'd been taken care of too...  
  
"I AM FOLLOWING ORDERS."  
  
"Orders?"  
They seemed to have brightened up slightly. Atleast, Wilson thinks so? Hard to really understand all the faces they could make. But he somewhat could make out the smile on their face and tone of robotic voice.  
  
"YES! MR. WAGSTAFF, MY CREATOR. HE HAS GIVEN ME ORDERS!"  
  
"To sit and... waste away here?"  
A sad sounding... beep? Emitted from the robot. Probably wasn't the nicest choice of words and Wilson quickly mumbled an apology.  
  
"HE WOULDN'T EVER DO THAT...! HE IS SIMPLY GIVING ME TIME TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES FOR MY PURPOSE, AS WAS DISCUSSED! I'M STILL TRYING...!"  
  
"Well- what's your purpose then? Maybe I can help."  
  
"WELL, IT-"  
They paused. Then gave the slightest shake of their head.  
"AH. WAIT. I CANNOT GIVE YOU THIS INFORMATION.  
IT IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE INFO AND I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN AUTHORIZATION TO DISTRIBUTE IT."  
  
"Oh... okay-"  
He scratched the back of his head before, he realized something!  
"Gah! Where are my manners? Ahah, ah...  
Wilson Percival Higgsbury."  
Wilson held his hand out towards the being.  
"A pleasure to meet you!"  
  
The robot stared at his hand.  
Then at him.  
Then back at his hand.  
  
"... ARE YOU TRYING TO STRIKE ME?"  
  
"What??"  
  
"YOU ARE FAILING AT THAT ACTION."  
  
"No!!"  
  
"YES YOU ARE."  
They spoke matter-of-factly.  
  
"No, I mean-!"  
Facepalming now. The robot blinked.  
  
"YOU JUST STRUCK YOURSELF. DO YOU NEED HELP?? PERHAPS IF I YELL FOR HELP LOUD ENOUGH, YOU CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE CLOSEST HUMAN MECHANIC AND BE FIXED???"  
A little sigh came from the taller of the two. He shook his head.  
  
"I'm fine! I just... facepalmed."  
  
"... OUT OF FRUSTRATION?"  
  
"... yes."  
  
"AH. THAT HAPPENS TO MR. WAGSTAFF A LOT. BUT USUALLY HE JUST YELLS FUNNY WORDS AND ALSO YELLS AT ME. BUT ALSO MANAGES TO ACTUALLY STRIKE ME INSTEAD OF STRIKING HIMSELF."  
  
"That... doesn't sound nice."  
  
"NONONO- IT'S FINE."  
Awkward silence was had... Wilson didn't like the sound of how they were quick to defend this 'Wagstaff' guy's actions... but- the robot continued on before he could ask more questions about their creator.  
"ALRIGHT, WILSON PERCIVAL HIGGSBURY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"  
  
"Just Wilson is fine..."  
  
"ALRIGHT, JUST WILSON."  
  
"Wilson! Call me Wilson. No uh... 'Just' in the name and all."  
  
"ALRIGHT, WILSON. COULD YOU MAYHAPS ANSWER MY QUESTION?"  
...  
"RUNNING POLITENESS FILE; 'PLEASE'?"  
Wilson almost snorted at that. It sounded funny to him.  
  
"I'm here to look for roses...  
I like to research them and learn more about them! There's many facts about them that most people are unaware of!"  
The robot rose a metal brow, blinking.  
  
"OH? LIKE WHAT, FOR EXAMPLE?"  
  
"Well... uhm- Oh! Here's a nice and interesting fact! Each color of a rose can mean a different thing! Like- for example...  
The classic red rose! Like... like the ones growing on you! It symbolizes love. That's the most common known one!"  
He paused. Giving them a chance to tell him to shut it. It's happened many times before and he'd rather see it coming than just let it interrupt his train of thought.  
When the robot didn't stop him, he continued! Sitting down infront of them as he continued, making many hand gestures to allow his mind to express what he was trying to explain and convey.  
"U-Uh- White! White roses symbolize innocence! Spirituality and... purity.  
Yellow often symbolizes joy and warmth!  
Pink roses show... gratitude, admiration, elegance and sweetness.  
Orange is pride and- well. The intense desire towards someone!  
Lavender usually means love at first sight-!  
And... blue is... secret or unattainable love."  
  
"... I SENSE A BIT OF A CONNECTION TOWARDS ALL THE COLORS OF ROSES.  
NAMELY, ROSES SYMBOLIZE A RELATIONSHIP. NOT NECESSARILY A ROMANTIC ONE, WITH WHITE, YELLOW AND PINK. HOWEVER, IT STILL SEEMS TO MEAN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND SUCH. POSITIVE."  
  
"Actually! There's one more! Though, they don't grow naturally. Black roses! Black roses symbolize... the end..."  
They blinked.  
"The end of a... relationship, actually. But... still. That's not a very positive aspect."  
  
"I SUPPOSE IT IS NOT."  
The two were silent for a while. Just staring at eachother.  
  
"Right! Wait- you didn't tell me your name!"  
  
"MY NAME. YOU MEAN WHAT I AM CALLED, YES?"  
Wilson nodded.  
"WX-78."  
They answered quickly. Not quite a name that can easily roll off the tongue, but- it's something, atleast! Wilson smiled and was about to say something- only for the robot to seemingly flinch!  
"OH."  
  
"Huh? What? What's wrong?"  
  
"REBOOT EMINENT. IT HAPPENS. AFTER SPENDING ALL MY TIME OUTSIDE HERE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RAIN AND SUCH... ERRORS CAN OCCUR RATHER FREQUENTLY. IT WILL REQUIRE ME TO RECHARGE ALL THE TIME IN ORDER TO CONTINUE RESPONDING. SO- I WILL DO THAT."  
Wilson stared.  
"... AND- THAT MEANS IT IS BEST FOR YOU TO GO HOME...? IT TAKES A WHILE FOR ME TO FULLY RECHARGE AND SUCH. THEREFO-O-O-O-0R3-"  
A little zapping noise occured and the taller of the two flinched away- scrambling back to his feet before staring over the now unmoving bot. They were... back to the state he found them in. Unmoving. Almost... dead looking. Then again, they _are_ a robot. Metal isn't exactly alive. Perhaps they were simply mimicking emotions and such! It's all a program, right? Something they're made to do or say or... such. And what about this 'Wagstaff' fellow he's never heard about?? Well- Wilson wasn't sure. The name sort of sounded familiar?? In a weird way. Hm.  
How peculiar.  
  
Hesitantly taking a couple steps back. Wilson turned around... slowly making his way back home. Stopping every now and then to quickly glance back to see there was still no movement. The robot was just sitting where he'd found them.  
...  
Perhaps he can visit the next day and check up on them! See if maybe he can get more answers if they've finished recharging by then...  
Maybe bring some of his tools with him! To get rid of the roots and such aswell. Clean them up and all... and he's sure he's still got some white vinegar in his home! That could get rid of the rust on that poor thing.


	2. Uprooting some Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally WX is able to move more! That is, if they please. But atleast now, they can recharge and rest easy under the rain without pain shooting through them all the time! An improvement to say the least.

Wilson trudged through the forest. Carrying an umbrella with him, along with a backpack. Weather forecast for today; Rain! He didn't like his hair getting wet- but also figured that if he's going to try and work on helping a machine out... he can't let them get too wet. Man, he remembers the last time he was trying to take pictures of a rose near a lake. His phone did _not_ appreciate that fall into the water! But he doubted he could toss a whole robot into rice! That would require the use of his bathtub too- where would he get all the rice for that anyways???  
  
Looking around before finally spotting the familiar boulder! And like the day before, he could still see the bright and beautiful red roses peeking out of it. Walking around the stone, there they laid. Still in the exact state he left them in. With the addition of a butterfly that had been attracted to the many roses on them. Can't say Wilson could really blame the thing... the robot probably didn't and couldn't take proper care of the roses, yet they were growing with such a perfect health... how was that even possible? Very few of his own roses actually managed to look this _this_ healthy!  
  
"Hello, WX-78! How are you doing?"  
No answer. He tilted his head and leaned a finger over. Very gently... poking their metal face. No answer again. No movement. No reaction. Nothing.  
"Huh... guess... you're still recharging."  
He didn't know why he felt the need to keep talking. It was obvious they couldn't answer! Though, maybe they were listening...? He wouldn't know with this bot.  
"Right, well...  
I'm going to cut these roots and vines off, alright? Just- try to free you up a bit...  
...  
I sound like a complete weirdo, talking out loud like this, huh? Alright, alright, I'll stop! I just wanted to give you a heads-up since I'm not quite sure how okay you are with- I'm still doing it, aren't I?"  
He groaned and rolled his eyes. Sometimes he can't help his rambling. Even to himself! Continuing on, he started carefully cutting some of the roots off their legs using a saw. Usually only used for the thickest of roots, but the roots were indeed rather large around their legs... That's where it was the worst, but nothing Wilson couldn't fix! But he made sure to be careful not to actually cut at the metal and leave scratches, he didn't know what that would lead to but- he figured it wouldn't be very good...  
He wasn't quite sure how much time he spent on those thick roots, but he was sure it did take a while since he took a moment to breath. Stretching his arms out for a bit...  
  
Then moving to also tend to the vines and roots that grew around their body and arms... for those, he just used a pair of shears. Just as he was finishing up- he noticed one of their arms shifting. Due to their shifting, the winged creature quickly took it's leave!  
Looking up quickly to look at their face which was blinking and staring right back at him.  
Then- that familiar noise! A glitched creaking before it was cut off and out came that loud synthetic voice from them!  
  
"YOU HAVE RETURNED!"  
  
"Stars above-!"  
Wilson let out a little shriek, pulling away and _almost_ dropping the shears onto their leg! That would have left a scratch but thankfully, they were unharmed as it landed harmlessly onto the grassy field under them!  
"Can you not lower your voice when you activate like that again??"  
  
"... OH. WELL, I WOULD NEED TO RECONFIGURE MY VOICEBOX MODULE, BUT YOU KNOW. THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE USE OF MY _HANDS_. AND I DO BELIEVE YOU'VE COMMENTED ON MY OVERGROWN FORM TWICE NOW WITH YOUR 'EYES'."  
Raising their hands rather slowly. Almost lagging, possibly due to not using them for a while now.  
"SO IT WOULD BE RATHER DIFFICULT TO RECALIBRATE MY START-UP VOLUME. I CAN ONLY ADJUST WHEN ALREADY ONLINE."  
Wilson stared at them and their moving hands.  
They stared right back at him.  
There was a few beats of silence for a moment. Then they tilted their head downward. Looking over their currently not vined up and rooted hands and arms.  
"... WAIT- DO NOT SAY A WORD. I MUST PROCESS THIS. I BELIEVE I MIGHT BE HALLUCINATING AS I AM VERY CLEARLY MOVING MY HANDS AND SUCH. WHICH SHOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE."  
The rose-tologist rolled his eyes. Gesturing to the shears. WX-78 flinched at the sight of them- they may aswell just be large weapons!  
  
"You're welcome, by the way."  
  
"YOU DID THIS?"  
Nodding from Wilson.  
"... WHY? DID I DO SOMETHING GOOD? OR DID YOU NEED SOMETHING?"  
  
"Uh... no? I don't think so? Atleast nothing that would directly benefit me. And no, I don't think that you uh... are much use to me, personally. Atleast not from the standpoint of a 'tool', per se."  
Blink blink. The rose tinted robot tilted their head.  
"... I did it because I just thought it would be nice to help. You know?"  
  
"I DO NOT KNOW."  
  
"Oh, come now. Your creator _must_ have done something sometimes to just make you happy instead of a higher reason?"  
...  
The blank stare Wilson got, followed by a quiet and sad sounding beep only made him cringe slightly in regret.  
"I'll. Uh. Take that as... a 'no', then."  
  
"EVERYTHING MR. WAGSTAFF DOES IS WITH A PURPOSE. A REASON. HE DOES NOT JUST DO THINGS FOR THE JOY OF IT. THERE IS ALWAYS A REASON."  
  
"Well, as depressing as that sounds... I'm not quite done helping you _just_ yet."  
He gestured to the rust on their metal body.  
"You still have rust there! And well- I wanted to help get rid of that. If you'd let me? I believe it is hindering your movements slightly."  
  
"FEELS ITCHY."  
Itchy? Well... perhaps that's how rusting feels like to a robot.  
  
"Eitherway, I'm glad to not be talking to myself now, when fixing you. Eheh... now, you can actually hear me!"  
  
"I COULD HEAR YOU BEFORE."  
Wilson paused in his movements for the white vinegar in his backpack. So they _could_ listen to him talk.  
"WELL. SORT OF."  
They leaned against the boulder. Their hands moving to fidget a bit at the moss on their chassis.  
"I COULD NOT HEAR YOUR WORDS. BUT I COULD HEAR YOUR TONE OF VOICE A LOT.  
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU TALKED A LOT?"  
  
"A-Ah... maybe... sorry if it bothered you."  
  
"DID YOU STOP BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT BOTHERED ME?"  
  
"Well- no, not really- actually, kinda- wait, yes- no-"  
They let out what sounded like little snickers. But Wilson couldn't quite make it out right now. Cheeks heating up from slight embarassment.  
"I just... tend to ramble and I thought you couldn't hear me! And I guessed that maybe... if anyone walked by, they'd think me a weirdo, since- who talks to themself when all alone??"  
  
"BUT YOU WERE NOT ALONE. I WAS HERE?"  
  
"Yes, but you weren't talking back. I may aswell have been talking to a statue or something."  
They shrugged at his statement while he began applying the vinegar.  
  
"WHAT IS THAT ROD YOU HAVE WITH YOU? IS IT FOR BATTLE? FOR PAIN?"  
Wilson rose his head to look over to what WX-78 was vaguely pointing at. Ah- the umbrella.  
  
"No, it's an umbrella. You uh... you use it when it's raining... it keeps you dry!"  
He reached over to show it off. Moving it a bit too fast near them, the robot flinched away! As if trying to avoid a hit. Wilson held it up, trying to show that it was completely harmless and he wouldn't strike them with it!  
"Sorry, sorry-! Look! It's safe, see? Just a tool to keep dry."  
... they hesitantly relaxed a bit...  
As if on queue, it began raining! Not much, but a drizzle was still there and tiny sparks came from the little robot which made them visibly deflate and cringe. They weren't a fan of rain...  
  
"I DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT IS KEEPING ME DRY."  
They mumbled with a depressed sounding beep following suit. Slightly crossing their arms and looking somewhat unimpressed by the umbrella. They looked to be twitching at every drop of rain that landed on them too.  
  
So, Wilson quickly opened up the umbrella. Moving to sit beside them and keep the thing above the both of them. They blinked, looking around... the rain stopped dropping on them and somewhat on the boulder too! It was almost amusing to the rose-tologist how in awe they appeared to be...  
Propping the umbrella up against the boulder, he took the bottle of white vinegar to get on with de-rusting the robot.  
  
They sat in silence for a while... the sound of the raindrops hitting the surface of the umbrella just emitting as Wilson worked...  
  
"Would you like me to remove the plants on you too, or-?"  
  
"NO! DO NOT. ONE OF THEM MIGHT BE THE ONE!"  
He rose a brow. Glancing over to them with a questioned look.  
"I CANNOT TELL YOU, BUT... BUT TRUST ME. DO NOT CUT ANY OF THE ROSES OFF!"  
  
"What about the moss? There's so much- I can't remove all of it. Atleast not the ones with the roses growing... but atleast some! They might be botching your systems... your joints and all, hindering some movement?"  
They blinked before nodding. That was an acceptable arguement and none they had a counter against.  
So, he carefully began removing some moss off of them. Near their joints and such to allow them a bit more freedom with their movements.  
  
"... TELL ME ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT ABOUT ROSES."  
  
"Another one?"  
  
"THERE ARE MORE, YES?"  
  
"Of course there are!"  
He scoffed at the mere thought of there not being more facts about roses!  
"Roses can live for... a very long time, you know. Actually, there have even been fossils that dated back to 35 million years!"  
  
"... _ROSE_ FOSSILS?"  
Wilson nodded.  
"BUT I HAVE SEEN ROSES WILT BEFORE. DOES THAT MEAN THEY WERE SIMPLY VERY OLD??"  
  
"Well, they can also wilt when not being cared for and such. That can also happen."  
The robot stared at him as he got rid of some clumps of moss before finishing up with the rust.  
"There's a large rose bush that covers the wall of a Cathedral in Germany. The Cathedral of Hildesheim. It's been there for over a millennium, actually!"  
  
"GERMANY?"  
  
"Oh- hm. Well. It's a country! A place where they also speak a different language. If we wanted to get there from here, we'd need a plane!"  
  
"AND WHERE IS... 'HERE'?"  
  
"England."  
Wilson pulled his hands away from them. Grabbing a cloth from his backpack and wiping them down. The rust was getting cleaned off...  
"There we go! Good as new! Kind of."  
The robot looked down at their body. Raising their arms, moving them around and wiggling their feet. Then running their fingers over the surface of their metal body where rust had been clearly visible.  
  
"... THANK YOU, WILSON."  
They nodded. Wilson showed a thumbs up which the robot stared at for a moment before mimicking the same gesture. Showing two thumbs up's!  
"YOU RESEARCH PLANTS?"  
  
"Just roses."  
The taller chuckled. Leaning back against the boulder as he watched the rain begin to really start pouring down! Thank goodness for the umbrella, he hated getting his hair wet. The robot pulled their knees up against their chest. Wrapping their arms around their legs and looking to Wilson.  
"I don't know, I just think roses are very interesting! And gorgeous, really. I like to see myself as... a rose-tologist."  
WX-78 started fidgeting with their fingers, listening closely.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOUR THEORIES ABOUT A PERFECT ROSE THEN, ROSE-TOLOGIST WILSON?"  
  
"Hm? Oh... well- that's subjective to the eye of the beholder, I suppose... some people prefer other roses more. There is no _perfect_ rose."  
  
"BUT CAN ONE BE MADE?"  
  
"I... I don't think so-??"  
  
"HMPH..."  
Apparently his words seemed to have offended the little robot as they turned their head away with a huff!  
  
"Look- maybe new things can happen. Maybe a perfect rose _can_ be made! I just... haven't seen it done, I think."  
  
"... WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ROSES??"  
  
"Put simply, I suppose the classic red rose is my favorite! The symbolism and the way they bloom- seeing one in the wild is sort of breathtaking to me!"  
  
"AHA! AND THOSE RED ROSES ARE GROWING ON ME!"  
  
"Well- yes, I suppose they are... but just because they're _my_ favorite does not mean they are perfect! Other people prefer a different color!"  
  
"BLAST."  
He rolled his eyes.  
"WELL... JUST YOU WAIT AND SEE!! MR. WAGSTAFF WILL PROVE YOU WRONG!"  
  
"Oh, how so?"  
  
"BECAUSE I SAID SO!"  
Puffing their cheeks! How that was even possible was beyond Wilson, but it still looked adorable nontheless. Adorably ridiculous. But adorable. He reached over and gently patted their head. Another flinch- before they relaxed. It made him worry, with how often they did that...  
  
"Say- when does your creator visit you here? To like- you know... check up on you?"  
They stared. Then shook their head.  
"He- did he not check up on you, not once???"  
Another headshake.  
"That's terrible!"  
  
"OH! NO NO- IT'S NOT BAD-! I JUST... NEED TO DO MY TASK. I HAVE A REASON FOR EXISTING AND I MUST BE ABLE TO PERFORM ADEQUATELY _FOR_ THAT REASON!!"  
They seemingly showed a smile. But it just looked off to the taller. Maybe because of their metal face and all.  
"DO NOT WORRY YOUR MIND ABOUT ME! I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME NOW!"  
  
"But... now you can leave!"  
  
"BUT WHAT IF MR. WAGSTAFF RETURNS AND I AM NOT HERE?? I CANNOT LEAVE. NOT NOW, ATLEAST. I MUST WAIT! MR. WAGSTAFF SAID TO STAY HERE UNTIL I MANAGE TO COMPLETE MY TASK AND OR UNTIL HE COMES HERE TO PICK ME UP! IF I AM NOT HERE, HE WILL BE UPSET."  
Wilson frowned, crossing his arms.  
  
"Doesn't it... get lonely?"  
The robot visibly deflated...  
"I mean- you're all alone out here..."  
Looking out towards the rain again... it seemed so... dreary. It would be rather disheartening to be out here all alone with no one else to talk to.  
"I can't imagine it being very nice for you to stay out here..."  
  
"BUT... WELL... _MAYBE-_ "  
They sighed. Shrugging. What could they say? It was difficult to convey this to a human. It just... would be wrong to go against their programming. Their whole reason to exist!  
"... I NEED TO STAY. IF I DO NOT STAY, I AM FAULTY. IF I AM FAULTY, THAT MEANS SOMETHING IS _WRONG_ WITH ME. IF SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME, THEN-  
THEN I MIGHT ASWELL BE TAKEN APART AND RE-MADE INTO SOMETHING ELSE! IT'S NOT RIGHT, IT'S BAD, NOT WORKING IS BAD AND-"  
Blinking. WX looked at Wilson who stared with slightly widened eyes. Then crossed their arms again.  
"... I WILL STAY."  
  
"..."  
Wilson's gaze softened. Pity. Pity was in his eyes and WX hated seeing it. Fidgeting with some moss on their shoulder before huffing.  
"Well...  
If you insist! What if I just... visited you?"  
  
"... VISIT ME? YOU'D DO THAT?"  
The taller nodded with a slight smile.  
"WHY?? DO YOU EXPECT ME TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING IN RETURN? I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE OF USE TO YOU, I AM SURE OF IT."  
  
"I don't want anything in return, WX. I'm just- y'know. Being nice! Not everything is always done for one's own benefit. I'm doing this because... I think it'd make you happy?"  
  
"....... OH."  
They looked over to him. Blinking. Then a... hesitant little smile crept it's way onto their metal face.  
"WHO AM I TO... DENY THIS OFFER? ALTHOUGH- I WILL WARN YOU, ANOTHER REBOOT IS EMINENT AND SUCH."  
  
"When?"  
  
"APPROXIMATELY... HALF AN HOUR TIME REMAINING."  
  
"That's still thirty minutes to talk, then. Let's see... do you have any questions for me??"  
They looked him up and down. Then nodded, pointing towards his hair.  
"Should have seen that coming... right- is it the shape or... the red streak?"  
  
"YES."  
  
"Yes-??"  
  
"YES TO EVERYTHING. EXPLAIN IT ALL?"  
  
"Right, right. Well, for the hair style... it _could_ be neater. However, with how often I go through bushes and the likes to get to roses and such, it's sort of... well. Messy...? Like how it is now. And the red streak! It just looks _cool._ Don't you think so too??"  
The deadpan stare was answer enough.  
"Don't answer that. Anyways. I usually get a lot of red hair dye all the time in order to get it like this! So- please don't talk too much smack about it..."  
  
"... TALK 'SMACK'?"  
  
"You know... insult it?"  
  
"WHY WOULD I INSULT YOUR HAIR?"  
  
"Because... of the shape? The general volume and all? It not being quite as ideal as it could be..."  
  
"I HAVE LITERAL MOSS GROWING ON ME."  
Okay. Fair. Wilson chuckled, rubbing the back of his head and nodding.  
"I HAVE SEEN MESSIER HAIR. MR. WAGSTAFF HAS THORNS IN HIS HAIR!"  
  
"Prickles."  
  
"GESUNDHEIT?"  
  
"You know the word 'Gesundheit' but don't even know about other countries??"  
WX shrugged.  
"Prickles, they're sharp outgrowths of a plant's outer layers. They can easily be broken off aswell! Thorns, however- are modified branches that project from the stem and branches of a woody plant! They're very sharp and are quite strong due to being made of the same stuff as the stem of the tree or bush. Thorns are deeply embedded in the woody structure of the plant and so, cannot so easily be broken off."  
  
"... HUH. SO HE HAS... 'PRICKLES' IN HIS HAIR."  
WX stared as the taller nodded.  
"... SOUNDS LIKE 'PICKLES'."  
The two of them snickered over the thought of someone having _pickles_ in their hair! Falling silent after that...  
...  
"PICKLE HEAD."  
Laughter erupted between them now! Full blown laughter. And the fact that during this laughter, WX would loudly exclaim 'CHORTLE CHORTLE' every now and then, just made Wilson reel! Stars above, when had he last laughed like this???  
  
"Oh goodness! He'd be in quite a pickle in that case, if you catch my drift! Aha!"  
They stopped laughing.  
Squinting and giving him a nudge!  
"Hey!"  
  
"NO! JUST NO."  
  
"Oh come on, it was a good one!"  
  
"YOU ARE DELUSIONAL IF YOU THINK THAT TO BE THE CASE!"  
They shook their head as Wilson pouted at them.  
"THERE ARE BETTER JOKES YOU COULD HAVE MADE. YET YOU CHOSE THAT! CLEARLY, A MISSTEP. CLASSIC HUMAN FAILURE."  
  
"Humans make mistakes all the time, that's fine and normal! Heh. Though, I guess I'm just a punny guy and you can't see my sense of humor!"  
  
"STOOOOOOP!"  
  
"Puntastical."  
  
"OH MY STARS, YOU ARE THE _WORST!_ AND I BARELY KNOW YOU, TOO! THE FACT I CAME TO THIS REALIZATION DESPITE THAT-!"  
  
"That makes this way funnier!"  
The two laughed again, all the way until Wilson could hear their laughter glitch out before their arms fell and they went back into a reboot. Going offline for the time being to recharge. Their body limp beside him.  
"Oh-"  
He stared... there must be something wrong with their internal systems if that just happens outside of their control... but, he'd ask them later. After all, he didn't know his machines too well. Wouldn't want to try and change something that would just cause more issues by accident!  
  
Looking around-  
It was already starting to get dark. Had they been laughing that long? He hadn't even realized- or maybe it was the roots that just took so long to remove...?  
Shaking his head. Wilson stared at the rain. It was starting to get colder too... he remembered how WX explained they could indeed feel cold...  
Maybe he can bring a blanket over next time?  
... but for now, perhaps they can have his vest as a makeshift blanket!  
Slipping it off and carefully draping it over their unmoving form. He'll have to make haste through the wild! Try to get home without getting _too_ wet. He didn't want to take the umbrella away from them when they needed it more! He'd just get wet, the poor rosebot actually looked to be in pain with every singular raindrop!  
  
He'll see them again, tomorrow. Maybe bring an actual blanket or something since they insist on staying there and all. Packing everything else up into his backpack, he got up and out from under the protection of his umbrella.  
Turning to look at their recharging form.  
  
"See you tomorrow, WX. Stay safe, okay??"  
And with that, he was off! Back home! Maybe he could bring a book too. It's not like they had anything to do here...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I was real excited to write this one!  
> All these rose facts are also interesting to look up and read.


	3. Rosy Robot Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rosy robot is truly, a peculiar being.

WX squinted as their optical sensors adjusted to the light of a new day... mechanisms going online! 

"HELL-"  
They stopped themselves in their greeting and looked around.  
... Oh- the 'Wilson' was not here. They should have figured, there was no reason for that human to visit them, really. But he seemed to have forgotten his... vest? And his umbrella. Bah. But being alone meant they could focus by themself!  
Cupping their hands... trying to... focus on... well. They weren't sure. They never were sure! Everyday before that human came along, they kept trying! But really, how in the world were they expected to generate a ' _Perfect Rose_ '?? And according to the rose expert, there was no such thing as a perfect rose anyways!  
"BLAST. ' _HELL_ ' IS RIGHT. UGH."  
They shook their head. Arm knocking against something that laid against their side! 

The umbrella thing. Why had the human even left his belongings with them? A little drop of rain pulled them back to reality with a little prickling pain that followed it! WX looked around at the little drizzles... taking the vest off and placing it on the ground where they sat before.

Then taking the umbrella with both hands to keep it above their head! Getting up, they almost stumbled and fell!  
But quickly grabbed onto the boulder for balance. 

"STUPID ROOTS-!"  
They really hadn't moved in such a long time... but, it also allowed them to go along without refueling for a while too! However, they supposed they should... do that, huh? 

As they walked around, careful not to wander too far away since they really weren't in the mood to figure out how to navigate their way back, they trudged along to look for some berry bushes! They used to consume quite a few of those berries that grew here before deciding to preserve all their fuel by staying still.  
And with the season; 'Spring' here, there should be new berries, atleast! 

WX could feel their metal feet touch mud- it was a weird feeling on their self, perhaps not one they lingered on. Rather easily distracted by various other things whenever mud was around! Like, _the stinging pain of rain_ , for example. But with an umbrella in their hands, they didn't feel any pain pre-occupying their databank. (Also known as their 'mind') 

Reaching out to pick some berries from bushes. Almost crushing the food in their hands, but they didn't care. They'd be getting the substance within them, one way or another. Trying to get a handful of the berries before trudging back. One hand holding onto the umbrella, the other holding the berries. Moving back to their spot, they knelt down and laid the umbrella against the boulder to provide shelter from the rain. Taking the vest and putting it aside while sitting down on the dry spot. That clothing proved useful, atleast! Popping some berries into their mouth as they laid back against their good ol' boulder friend. 

Time passed as they quickly consumed the berries in no time and tried to clear their mind to focus in on... growing?

It was the closest idea they had to complete their task, okay?? But still, no progress. Atleast none that they could see happening! However they couldn't just sit here and do nothing. WX needed to focus on _something_...! 

It was then they remembered that Wilson mentioned their voice being much too loud when they initially reboot! Right, they couldn't change anything about that until they were already online and could adjust their voicebox setting volume as they went... but now, they could perhaps manually reach in to set the base volume lower.  
Atleast a bit! The human was bound to return eventually for his things, right?  
Reaching down to carefully open their chassis. Only to find that moss and it not being opened for so very long had made things... much more difficult. It took a lot of prying until the blasted thing finally opened! And they blinked as a winged insect flew out! When in the world had that gotten in them?? Bah, they didn't want to know. 

Careful to avoid touching their chemical engine, they were reaching more upwards, trying to maneuver past various wires and cables until they could feel their voicebox! WX cringed- it felt weird. They could imagine describing it to a human like touching the inside of your throat. Nothing comfortable, to say the least! Trying to find a switch and turn it down just a bit while holding down a button to the side. They knew a lot about their inner mechanisms, they had to! They had to do minor self-maintenance every now and then before those roots had stopped them from moving. 

Once the voicebox had been dealt with, they pulled their hand back. Only to pause.

Perhaps they could... turn down the energy preserving module. After all, there were no roots and vines to hold them down. There were berries they could pick for refueling and all- plus, it would be nice to have longer conversations! Although it probably wouldn't last for very long, they wanted to enjoy their time with the rose expert who'd visited _twice_ now! That's already a complete surprise to the robot! Reaching within their chassis carefully once again. Only to cringe, feeling moss within. Okay, maybe turning it off wouldn't be as simple as they'd like it. They _could_ ask Mr. Wagstaff!! Ah- but... he'd need to visit for them to get the chance. And they can't just go back to his Workshop... because... 

They _couldn't_. Orders were orders. 

A synthetic sigh- WX tried to focus on nothing in particular again. Just their own being... not bothering to shut their chassis door just yet. 

"Hey there!"  
The robot turned and smacked whoever came up behind them on the boulder with the umbrella!  
Flinching at the raindrops that fell upon them as their chassis door swung from the quick movements! Creaking noises emitting from it as WX defended themself from-  
"Woah!! Hey! Ow!"The... rose expert?  
They blinked. Taking a step back as they held the umbrella above their own head again. There the man was! With his own umbrella which he had now dropped due to getting whacked at! And carrying another backpack.  
"Geez- a simple 'Hello' would have been enough, y'know??" 

"... OKAY. HELLO."  
He rolled his eyes as the robot couldn't help their own cheeky smirk. Wilson held his umbrella up over his head again.  
"YOU HAVE RETURNED! FOR YOUR THINGS I PRESUME? THE VEST AND UMBRELLA." 

"The vest, maybe. The umbrella? Not so much."  
They rose a brow, blinking.  
"I think you could use the umbrella a lot more than me. Since- well. Sparks come out of you when rain touches you." 

"WATER IS- A MENACE TO MY EXISTENCE." 

"Yet very important to other's existence."  
He chuckled and shook his head at their almost offended looking expression!  
"What's that on your hand?"  
They blinked and held up their hand that didn't hold onto the umbrella. Some leftover berry juice.

"YOU MEAN THE BLOOD OF THE BERRIES?"

"Berry...?" 

"I HAVE TO REFUEL _SOMETIMES_ , SILLY WILSON." 

"Wait- so you eat food??"  
They nodded.  
"Goodness, if you had just told me! You didn't eat anything the last time we talked! I could have gotten you something proper to eat!" 

"FOOD IS FOOD?"  
WX stared at him almost blankly and Wilson wondered if they'd ever gotten anything proper to eat! He wasn't quite sure how a robot can even eat or why, but he supposed lots of things are best left unanswered. 

"Right. Well... your chest part thing is open, y'know."  
Pointing at their chassis door which was still wide open! They looked down, then back at him. Then down again, then glared at him. 

"PERVERT."  
Wilson blinked. What in the world was that supposed to mean?? It's a chassis, cables, wires and gears were in there! Along with moss, if the gentleman rose-tologist had seen right. 

"With all due respect, I don't really think all the metal and gears and _moss_ in there is really getting me hot and bothered anyways. Not really attractive, by human standards and all."  
An offended sounding robotic gasp! They closed their chassis.  
"What, did you _want_ that to be the case???" 

"NO!"  
They shook their head.  
"I'VE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR TWO DAYS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN THINKING! WHAT DOES 'HOT AND BOTHERED' MEAN?? DO I BOTHER YOU AND MAKE YOU OVERHEAT???? AND I AM ATTRACTIVE!! VERY MUCH! BY ROBOT STANDARDS! LIKE... LIKE... HAL! HAL THINKS SO! HE DOES!"  
Crossing their arms with a pout on their face. 

"Hal?" 

"MY BEST FRIEND!" 

"And where is he?"

The robot visibly deflated at the question. A sad beep emitting as Wilson's gaze softened while he frowned. WX sat back down by the boulder. Practically hugging their umbrella close to their metal form.

"..................."

"... did... did- oh, something bad happened to him, no...?" 

"... I WAS... GETTING DISTRACTED. MR. WAGSTAFF SAID DISTRACTIONS WERE NOT ALLOWED AND TOOK HIM AWAY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE HAL IS, BUT... MR. WAGSTAFF SAID THAT HE WENT OFF TO VACATION...! SO IT'S NOT SO BAD. I THINK."  
Silence rested between them as Wilson walked over to sit beside them.  
"... I KIND OF MISS HIM. HE WAS LIKE ME! BUT SMALLER... AND FUNNY TOO. NOT LIKE YOU, HE HAD ACTUALLY GOOD JOKES."  
Wilson pouted which just made them snicker. 

"Well. Eitherway- I saw some moss within your mechanisms there... I could clean that out for you and maybe-" 

"NO." 

"What-?"

"I SAID NO. THIS IS PRIVATE BUSINESS. PRIVATE, MEANING IT IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS. MEANING- NO. I BARELY KNOW YOU. YOU COULD BREAK SOMETHING."  
They shook their head. Crossing an arm over their closed chassis while still holding onto the umbrella. That is, until the rain finally stopped and they looked around. Looking at the umbrella in... well. Confusion.  
"IT HAS SERVED IT'S PURPOSE. HOW DOES ONE SHRINK IT BACK TO IT'S STICK FORM?" 

"Oh... here, look- I'll show you."  
Wilson closed his umbrella up before leaning closer to them to reach over. Trying to show them how to do the same whilst gently holding their wrists to guide them. A click was heard as the umbrella closed...  
"See? Not very hard."  
They shrugged.  
"... Say. Tell me more about this... 'Mr. Wagstaff' guy." 

"... MAYBE. ON ONE CONDITION!" 

"Oh...?" 

"YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER INTERESTING ROSE FACT."  
Wilson blinked, tilting his head to the side and raising a brow with... a somewhat amused smile.  
"WHAT? WHAT IS IT? DID I DO SOMETHING AMUSING? FUNNY? I DO NOT RECALL TELLING A JOKE." 

"No, no. It's just- it's kind of funny. Most people want me to shut up when I talk about roses... yet you want the opposite! I can't quite figure out why, but-" 

"YOUR VOICE." 

"Huh?" 

"OR MAYBE YOUR FACE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT IT, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD ANNOY A FLESHLING OF ANY SHAPE AND SIZE, REALLY." 

"Wait-" 

"MAYBE YOUR HAIR GIVES PEOPLE CLAUSTROPHOBIA."  
They were smirking now. Amused while Wilson's smile had started to drop. 

"I didn't-" 

"OR YOUR HANDS ACCIDENTALLY NUDGING PEOPLE WHEN YOU RAMBLE." 

"That's not what I- wait, do they actually move that much-??" 

"OR MAYBE JUST YOU IN GENERAL, MAYBE YOUR VERY PRESENCE AND AURA IS ANNOYING BUT PEOPLE DON'T TELL YOU BECAUSE YOU LOOK SO SMALL AND HELPLESS AND HUMANS JUST CAN'T BE HONEST PEOPLE SOMETIMES AND-" 

"HEY!"  
Wilson's loud voice made the robot flinch, almost making them jump, actually. The taller crossed his arms with a little huff at the smaller being before him who stared with slightly widened eyes. Then he noticed... their hand practically trembling before they lowered their head. Making themselves seem so much smaller than they already are. Pity once again was on his face that didn't go unnoticed by the robot who stared for only a bit before mumbling a barely audible apology...  
Which only managed to send a pang of guilt into Wilson! Stars above, it's like they were suddenly kicked...  
"Hey- it's okay! Just... just don't overdo making fun of me, that's not very nice..."  
They gave a little nod.  
 _Damn it, Higgsbury! Just when they were smiling more and heck, looked to be coming out of a shell... you just had to mess it up!_  
Wilson cleared his voice, grabbing the smaller's attention again.  
"I... uh- I just meant that... what I couldn't figure out is why _you_ are so interested while others are not." 

"... BECAUSE I AM INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ROSES."  
They stated, after finding their voicebox again. 

"Yet _other_ people are not..." 

"SOME _OTHER_ PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS." 

"That's not nice." 

"SOME OTHER PEOPLE ARE... _STUPID HEADS_?"  
Wilson nodded. 

"Better."  
Walking back to the boulder and staring at his vest on top of it. Kind of wet.  
"... Did you get it wet-?" 

"IT KEPT MY SPOT DRY! THAT WAY, I DO NOT SIT ON MUD. I WAS USING THE POWER OF MY DATABANK MIND TO FIND A GOOD SOLUTION TO KEEPING MY SPOT DRY WHILE I GOT UP! SMART, NO?"  
He cringed. Ah, well. It could have used a little wash anyways... then he felt a nudge to his arm.  
"ROSE FACT, NOW."  
Silent staring...  
"... _PLEASE_?" 

"Better! Right, let's think..."  
Wilson moved to sit on top of the boulder. Tapping his chin and clearing his voice.  
"Roses are edible." 

"WHAT-"  
Their eyes widened! Looking at the roses on their head before back at Wilson.  
"AS IN- CAN BE _CONSUMED_ , YES?? FOR REFUELING???" 

"Well. Sort of.  
Ahem- their petals are edible! They can be soaked in water too, to make rose water! This rose water is often added into jellies or jams. Roses also grow a berry-shaped fruit called 'Rose Hips'! Maybe I can show you one, one day. They can be different colors. From orange, red, dark purple- all the way to black! Rose Hips are packed with Vitamin C and can also be used in some drinks. They are also sometimes dried to make a refreshing and relaxing tea." 

"... TEA?" 

"It's a type of drink! Although, I'm not sure you can consume it... since it would be liquid and all."  
They shrugged cluelessly at that.  
"But yeah- roses are indeed edible."  
He caught the robot reaching over to their head with roses... only to pause, think about it, then lower their hand again.  
"I gave you a rose fact there. Now- tell me about this 'Wagstaff' fellow??"

The robot moved to sit beside the boulder again, looking up at him as they fidgeted with the moss on their right shoulder. 

"WELL. MR. WAGSTAFF IS BRILLIANT! A BRILLIANT INVENTOR WHO ALWAYS KNOWS BEST."  
Wilson nodded at their words, waiting for more info.  
"I AM ONE OF MANY INVENTIONS HE'S CREATED! HIS FIRST AUTOMATON! HE IS VERY HARD WORKING! HIS MIND IS LIKE AN ARROW AND WHATEVER HE IS CURRENTLY INTERESTED IN, IS THE TARGET! HE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL HE SUCCEEDS! THAT'S JUST HOW HE ALWAYS IS. DETERMINED AND PROUD AND-  
AND SIMPLY THE BEST OF THE BEST COMPARED TO ALL THE HUMANS!! NO OFFENCE-" 

"None taken." 

"HE CAN DO _ANYTHING_!"  
Wilson nodded as they spoke. Crossing his arms with a chuckle. It was... rather adorable, how highly they spoke of their Inventor. But, he shouldn't be surprised. Of course they'd see their creator as so high and mighty. 

Although it made him wonder, when the Wagstaff fellow did things inherently cruel to them... were they just programmed to not care? To just take it and go along with it? Did the robot even really have feelings? Were all their reactions full of emotion _really_ so genuine, or just something in their programm that mimicked the emotions? Something to pull sympathy out of others, something for survival? Honestly, Wilson couldn't make heads or tails of it. 

And he wasn't going to pretend that he could. He was no scientist, perhaps in a different life, he would have studied up on this? But this, was not it. Instead, the taller just smiled as the robot kept going on and on about their creator! Telling about his various brilliant inventions and the large workshop! 

"Did you just... live in the workshop then? Or... did you have your own room?" 

"AH- WELL. KIND OF! MY ROOM WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE SMALL ATTIC! I USUALLY JUST SAT BY THE WINDOW WITH THE SUNLIGHT! AND WHEN IT BECAME DARK, I WATCHED THE MOON!! IT WAS SO... POWERFUL LOOKING FROM THERE. PERFECT!" 

"Well, a room up in the attic is still something... even if it may be small-" 

"I SAID ' _KIND OF_ '. I THINK."  
Wilson blinked. Pausing... yeah, they _did_ say that."BASICALLY... MY ROOM WAS LIMITED TO A VERY SPECIFIC CORNER OF THE ATTIC WITH THE WINDOW! PLUS A LITTLE CHARGING PAD I WOULD JUST SIT ON TO RECHARGE! AND IF I NEEDED REFUELING, THEN MR. WAGSTAFF WOULD GIVE ME SOME SMALL GEARS TO CONSUME IN ORDER TO KEEP MY SYSTEMS AT OPTIMAL STANDARDS!" 

"But- wait, only a pad? Didn't you get a blanket and bed, atleast? Not even in the attic? I can imagine it would get chilly..." 

"WELL... IT DID. BUT MR. WAGSTAFF TOLD ME NOT TO BOTHER HIM DURING HIS WORK UNLESS IT WAS AN EMERGENCY." 

"I'd imagine 'freezing to death' to be an emergency, but I suppose you don't?" 

"IT IS NOT COMFORTABLE...? BUT, UNLESS I AM NEAR DEATH, I AM NOT TO BOTHER HIM. I GET THROUGH MOST NIGHTS WITHOUT IT GOING THAT FAR."  
Wilson huffed. The more he heard about their creator, the more he decided he didn't like the guy one single bit! Then he remembered-! He did pack something for them... Turning around to pull his backpack over, he unzipped it and rummaged through the thing. The robot curiously peeked over, blinking. 

"Here-!"  
Holding out, a soft fuzzy blanket. It wasn't too large, but it should be enough for a robot of their size! Not to mention, it was especially thick to keep them warm!  
"The softest one I had at home, laying around. It was originally a gift from my great grandmother, but... well. I suppose she wouldn't care or mind anymore if I gave it to someone who'd make more use of it than I would, just keeping it on my legs when I'm reading in my small library!" 

WX stared over the fuzzy blanket which was held over to them. Reaching out to carefully take it and pull it over their form. It was... incredibly warm. And _extra_ soft! They never even knew such a soft thing even _existed_! Wilson smiled as he watched them nuzzle their face into the fuzzy blanket. A happy sounding beep emitting from them! That sound just made his smile widen with pride and joy, seeing how happy he'd made the other with this! 

"THIS IS NICE, BUT-"  
They looked over to him. Cuddling the blanket close to their form.  
"WHY?" 

"WX."  
The taller sighed. They've talked about this before... but it seems the robot's mindset was so rooted on the ways their creator imbedded into them, they couldn't help it...  
"I'm doing this because I just _want_ to! No ulterior goal or motive. I just _want_ to help you." 

"..."  
The robot let out a little laugh, the roses on their head seemingly blooming a bit more, much to Wilson's amazement!  
"YOU ARE A SILLY HUMAN! PERHAPS YOU MAY JUST CHECK MY INNER MECHANISMS NEXT TIME WITH THE MOSS-REMOVER! THEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACHOTHER FOR LONGER." 

"Oh, really? That's great to hear, I-  
Wait, didn't you call me a pervert for seeing the inside of your chassis?? Why would it be okay _now_??" 

"I WAS MESSING WITH YOU, IDIOT." 

"WX!" 

" _STUPID HEAD_!" 

"That doesn't make it much better!" 

"IT DOES TO ME! _INITIATING; RASPBERRY BLOWING NOISE PROTOCOL!_ BLLLLLBB!"  
It sounded less like someone blowing a raspberry and more like... well. Someone literally saying each letter of B and L individually. 

"You might want to work on that sound effect."  
They pouted! Wilson snickered and reached over to gently pat their head. They didn't flinch this time... funny, it's only been three days and he already feels like his doubts just some time ago earlier were absolutely silly. This much emotion can't truly be just simple programming, no? This much personality and wit. It must be _them_ , no?

_It was just WX-78. Simple as that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I had a stressful day but writing this kinda calmed my nerves! Phew!


	4. To find a Rose, think like a Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which WX decides to be a rose and isn't good at it. Finds out sweet stuff are great.  
> And also has learned the ability of being able to pull all-nighters whenever they wanna.

WX-78 had crossed their arms and tried to think...  
IF they can't _create_ a perfect rose... perhaps it would be wise to figure out how else they can get one. I mean- after sitting around just doing basically nothing except hope for a rose to grow, they could _search_ for one! But where would a perfect rose grow? 

[ _THINK, WX! THINK! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FIND ONE... PERHAPS YOU MUST INDEED TAKE ON THE METAPHORICAL THOUGHT PROCESS OF THIS 'PERFECT ROSE'!_ ] 

And so. It brings us to this very moment. Them sitting on top of a tree. Hugging the tree trunk and trying to get higher! Because the higher a plant is, the greater and more superior it is, right?? So a perfect rose would naturally be the tallest one! Obviously! Trying to get themselves just a bit higher... they swore, they could truly touch the sky up so high if they just- 

"Oh, by Damara's armpits-!! What the bloody hell are you doing up there?!?"  
The robot let out a squeak as they jumped at the voice! Losing their grip and- falling!  
Only to quickly get caught by Wilson who had lunged forward to catch them! Then crumble to the ground himself due to the weight of the robot being so much more than he had expected!  
"Ghk... you're... rather heavy... which is weird since I haven't seen you eat _that_ much..." 

"... ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT? THERE WOULD BE NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT BUT ALSO, I CAN AND _WILL_ STOMP ON YOUR TOES IF YOU STILL MEANT TO INSULT ME IN THAT PATHETIC WAY."  
A fearful shudder at the thought of a walking talking chunk of METAL stomping on his toes was enough to deter Wilson from trying to make some sort of joke about their height to add salt to the wound.

"No, no. I know full well that's because you're made of metal and all... guess I'll need to exercise or something in order to start carrying you."  
They didn't have visible pupils. But with how expressive they were, it was weird how the rose-tologist could tell they were rolling their eyes. Why _would_ he ever carry them either? As they got off him, he dusted himself off, getting to his feet and continued. Fixing his backpack up he had almost dropped to the ground.  
"Care to explain why you were up in that tree?" 

"CLASSIFIED INFORMATION." 

"Uh huh. What? Were you trying to; BECOME THE BIRD???? Or something along those lines?"  
Now the robot stared at him as if he was dumbest person to have ever crossed their path. Wilson was confused! What else could the robot possibly even want-  
"Were you trying to be a rose?"  
They nodded.  
"Okay. Just so you know- roses won't be on trees like that. So you should avoid just getting on trees, you'd just get hurt." 

"HM, I SUPPOSE YOU _DO_ HAVE A POINT THERE..."  
They crossed their arms and nodded. Then pointed towards his backpack.  
"WHAT DO YOU HAVE WITH YOU THIS TIME, WILSON? EVERYTIME YOU BROUGHT THAT BACKPACK ALONG, YOU ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING USEFUL FOR ME."  
The taller tilted his head before letting out a little chuckle. They sure caught onto that quickly. But with that chuckle, their curiousity quickly grew. Circling around the human with big eyes.  
"WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT? IS IT SOMETHING SPECIAL??? A REWARD??" 

"Reward? For what?" 

"GOOD BEHAVIOUR? NO TALKING OUT OF PLACE?" 

"Well, I'm not sure you _haven't_ done that..."  
A sad beep and Wilson was quick to shake his head and flail his arms about in nigh panic!  
"Not to say that it's a really bad thing??! It's okay to say what's on your mind sometimes, WX!! That's totally fine! Why wouldn't it be??" 

"MR. WAGSTAFF HATES IT?"  
Ah. Wagstaff. Wilson huffed at the mere mention of the name now.   
"ALRIGHT, WELL- WHAT'S IN THE BACKPACK THEN?"  
WX-78 finally settled down a bit. Standing infront of the rose-tologist with their hands cupped infront of their form, more relaxed again. Wilson reached into his backpack. Pulling out a small paperbag and out of _that_ , he pulled out...  
"... WHAT? IS THAT LIKE- A TINY PUNCHING BAG? IT'S WEIRDLY SHAPED..." 

"No, you dunce! It's a-"  
A kick to his shin!  
"Ow!!" 

"DO NOT CALL ME A 'DUNCE', YOU _DUNCE_." 

"Ugh-! It's a muffin!"  
He held the little baked good over.  
"Food! Since... y'know. You mentioned eating food! And I thought- maybe this would be a better treat than just plain old berries! Of course, I wasn't sure what you'd prefer... but since the berries around here are rather sweet, I got you a muffin that has some sweet icing on top and all which you _should_ find quite nice!"  
The robot looked over the food in his hand curiously. Warily, almost. As if expecting it to burst out into flames and hurt them! The taller was close to saying something- but he figured it would be best to stay quiet. Give them some time to process this and take the food on at their own pace. 

WX-78 looked at it. It looked like... some form of cake? But smaller! With pink afore-mentioned icing... and some sort of- rose? Carefully poking the rose then retreating their hand like they expected it to move and try to bite them! They realized it was solid! Not soft like an actual rose would feel like. Fake rose. Obviously not a perfect one. They carefully took it into their own hands. Trying not to crush the food as they glanced from it, over to Wilson who gave them a reassuring smile. Then, finally! They opened their mouth, about to just fully consume the thing in one bite! 

"Wait!"  
A flinch as they pulled their face away, almost dropping this 'miniature cake'.  
"Don't just eat it all in one gulp! Take it slow... y'know, just! Little bites."  
They leaned forward. Barely scraping the icing to consume it...  
"Not like that! Take a _bite_! But just- don't overdo it by eating the whole thing in one!"  
The rose-bot blinked before nodding. Finally taking their first actual bite and screwing their eyes shut. For a moment, Wilson thought that the muffin he got was way too sweet for their tastes, maybe. Only to see their eyes snap back open, big and wide! 

"QUESTION MARK, EXCLAMATION MARK-?!?"  
He tried not to snort at that. Watching as WX stared practically _starry eyed_ at the food in their hands before continuing to eat it! The taller just gently patted their head as they did, figuring that this was probably a big change from berries! Once the robot finished up, they stared at their now empty hands before looking over to Wilson with what could only be described by him as 'puppy dog eyes'.  
"I HAVE CONSUMED IT ALL... IS THERE MORE??" 

"Oh- well I wasn't sure if you'd like that one. But I brought other things instead! I'm sure you'll like them all!"  
Pulling a different paperbag out now and giving them pastries. Donuts, chocolate (he did believe a robot didn't have teeth that could be affected by this much sugar), cupcakes and other muffins. They ate it all! Though stating everytime that it wasn't as good as the first one, they still seemed happy at every new flavor they could get their hands on! As they were eating the last sprinkled chocolate donut, Wilson piped up again.  
"So... you mentioned uh- yesterday. That I could maybe clean some moss up, in your systems! Right...?" 

"..."  
They were silent before consuming the donut. Holding a finger up to silently tell him to give them a moment... before nodding.  
"YES! I DID. BUT-! I... I WASN'T LYING WHEN I SAID THAT MY INNER MECHANISMS ARE VERY _PERSONAL_ TO ME! THAT IS WHY I DEMAND THAT YOU ONLY CLEAN UP ONE SPECIFIC SPOT! ONE THAT I CURRENTLY REQUIRE ACCESS TO... I DO NOT WANT YOU POKING AROUND IN THERE!" 

"Well, I'm no mechanic... but I'll do my best to work fast and-" 

"NO!"  
They shook their hand!  
"DON'T RUSH IT! EVERYTHING INSIDE ME IS VERY DELICATE AND MUST BE HANDLED WITH UTMOST CARE! OTHERWISE IT-"  
WX lowered their head as they began carefully opening their chassis up.  
"OTHERWISE... IT... IT-"  
Their voicebox volume suddenly lowered considerably as they uttered quiet words...  
"It would... _hurt_ a _lot_..."  
Wilson frowned.. he wasn't going to ask how they found out, but judging by their tone and what he already knew about their life with their creator... he could _guess_ how. WX looked over to see his face.  
"STOP THAT."  
They spoke louder again. 

"Huh?" 

"THAT. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU FEEL BAD FOR ME." 

"Oh- that- uh- I guess... I kinda do...?" 

"WELL STOP IT. I DO NOT REQUIRE **_PITY_**!"  
They practically _hissed_ the word out with venom dripping off their very tone. Holding such distaste for it! For _pity_...   
"THERE IS NO REASON FOR PITY TO EVEN EXIST IN MY CASE! SO JUST STOP IT!"   
Wilson took a deep breath. Nodding along to their words. Though they weren't convinced he moved on... so! They continued!  
"IGNORING WHAT I PREVIOUSLY SAID WOULD BE FOOLISH OF YOU. BUT CHANGING THE SUBJECT SO YOU DON'T GO PLAYING AROUND WITH MY INNER MECHANISMS WHILE LOOKING LIKE YOU KICKED A DOG...  
WHY DON'T YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER ROSE FACT WHILE YOU'RE WORKING??" 

Another rose fact. It seemed like they were always eager to know more about _roses_ , which indeed, made Wilson smile more again. The robot couldn't help but smile back- even if only slightly, it was improvement from that frown. 

"Well, show me what to clean and I'll think of a fact to tell you about!"  
He didn't need to think about it. Considering the tree incident, he already knew what he wanted to tell them. But still, he'd need to know what to do and felt like it would be better not to interrupt his explaining with questions as to where to clean exactly. The robot obliged, keeping their chassis open now and showing a specific corner down their lower left mechanisms. A bunch of moss had settled itself down there! Thank goodness he had brought vinegar with him in vase he spotted some extra rust. Even distilled white vinegar could do the trick! Rummaging in his backpack to get to work once they relaxed themselves down to settle by the boulder. WX sitting on top of it while Wilson knelt down a bit to work... 

"SO. START TALKING. GIVE ME MORE ROSE FACTS." 

"Right, right. Well..."  
Eyes squinting a bit as he let his mind wander and ramble. He was taking this slow, as he _really_ didn't want to hurt the robot before him...  
"Roses won't be growing on trees, WX. All roses grow best in the full sunlight with moist, well-drained soil that's incredibly rich in organic matter. So if you want to 'become the rose', you shouldn't be climbing trees. Understand?" 

"WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOU SO MUCH IF I CLIMB A TREE OR NOT?" 

"Because you could get hurt!" 

"WHY DO YOU CARE?" 

"Why _wouldn't_ I??" 

"LET'S SEE. YOU DON'T KNOW ME VERY WELL, FOR ONE."  
They tapped their metal chin. Trying not to get in the way of Wilson who was still trying to get moss off them within their internal mechanisms.  
"FOR TWO- I'M A ROBOT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD HUMANS DO NOT HOLD MUCH CARE FOR THAT, WHICH IS NOT ALIVE. SO..."  
The taller paused.  
Looking up to notice their head tilted to the side just slightly. Avoiding eye-contact. 

"... Well. 'For one', I think me not knowing you very well can change over time.  
And 'for two', whoever told you that... was wrong." 

"BUT- MR. WAGSTAFF ALWAYS KNOWS-" 

"Apologies, but I do believe an inventor focused on _machinery_ and the likes wouldn't be the biggest expert on how other people feel or perceive things. I like to think we could become friends!" 

"... FRIENDS?" 

"With time."  
He shrugged, continuing to carefully remove the moss.  
"I didn't know robots could actually exist and all... until I met you. So, I suppose many things are possible given enough time. Why not _friendship_ with a robot?"  
They didn't move. Just continued staring off...   
Once Wilson got up, patting some earth off his pants, they spoke up again.

"MAYBE."  
The robot looked back over to him. Staring down at their chassis and reaching in. Maneuvering carefully past some turning gears and wires...  
"MAYBE WITH _TIME_ , I MEAN... YOU COULD BE RIGHT."  
Wilson smiled at that, tilting his head to the side as he let them... tinker with whatever it was they were doing within their chassis.  
"ALSO- THAT ROSE FACT WAS KIND OF BORING AND I DEMAND ANOTHER ONE!"  
The taller didn't say a thing.  
"...... _PLEASE_." 

"There! That wasn't so hard!"  
They seemed to puff their cheeks up with a pout! It was so weird how they could do that despite being made out of metal! What a peculiar feat this robot could achieve...  
"Alright, alright. Another rose fact... one more interesting..."  
Clicks were heard before WX-78 closed their chassis again and just placed their hands on the boulder they sat on. Swinging their feet back and forth as they waited for Wilson to spout out more unique info about roses.  
"Do you know the phrase; 'Stop and smell the roses'?"  
Their blank stare was answer enough. Who'd tell a robot to stop and smell the roses?? A robot lacking a NOSE, especially???  
"Well... that phrase isn't just a random one. You see, their aroma is such a lovely and popular floral scent and is used in _many_ women's perfumes! Specifically, the _rose oil_ is used and the process of extracting this rose oil from roses required a _HUGE_ amount of roses!"  
They still stared at him like he'd grown another head. 

"WHAT IS A 'PERFUME'??"  
Oh boy- Wilson cleared his voice up a bit. 

"It's uh- it's a type of water you can spray on yourself to smell different! Have a different scent! I myself, use cologne!" 

"COLOGNE?" 

"It's uh... basically perfume. But the difference lies within the amount of essential oils and such! Perfumes contain a higher concentration of oils." 

"BUT THEY BOTH HAVE A SCENT TO CHANGE?" 

"Yes!" 

"YOU HUMANS REALLY TRY TO MASK YOUR SMELL WITH ANYTHING, HUH?"  
They let out a snicker, shaking their head. 

"Atleast I don't smell like moss and rust." 

"I'M GOING TO KICK YOU!" 

"Need a boost?"  
They were glaring. But the taller just snickered and shook his head.  
"WX, I'm joking. Humans sweat and all- of course we want to mask any bad smells or even just impress others by smelling regal or especially _good_. It's a rather common practice. Heck, if _I_ had anyone to impress, I would be using cologne myself. But all I've got is a greenhouse!" 

"GREEN HOUSE? WHAT IS THE POINT OF A HOUSE THAT IS GREEN? DO YOU JUST LIKE THE COLOR? AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU LIKED THE COLOR ' _RED_ '..." 

"No no no. A _greenhouse_ , it's like... a glass building! Where plants that need protection from the cold winter are grown in."  
They opened their mouth-  
"Before you ask- I presume the word 'Green' is used to describe the greenery and or plants within. So even if it's made of glass and is infact, not colored GREEN... it is used to nurture that which would br considered green. I think."  
They closed their mouth again, their unspoken question having been answered.  
"So- yeah! Rose Oil. Used for perfumes."  
The robot just stared at him. As if still processing their words over their databank... 

"WHAT DO YOU GROW IN THIS 'GREENHOUSE' OF YOURS?" 

"Well! Lots of stuff! Like roses and...  
... _roses_. And other roses with different colors and- really, I just grow roses."  
He scratched the back of his head with an embarassed little laugh. But WX got up now, seemingly with renewed determination! 

"BRING ME TO YOUR GREENHOUSE!" 

"Huh??? But I thought you had to stay _here_???" 

"WELL- YES, BUT IF THIS IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO FINISH MY TASK, THEN I WILL TAKE IT! I WANT TO SEE YOUR GREENHOUSE AND THE INSIDE OF IT!"  
Wilson stared with wide eyes as they grabbed onto his arms. Shaking him back and forth a bit in an almost 'whiny bratty' kind of manner.  
"I NEED TO! IT COULD FINALLY HELP ME OUT!" 

"I seriously doubt that! Plus, I didn't plan for anyone to see it today! I want to be able to clean up in there first!" 

"WE'VE GOT TIME. I CAN WAIT OUTSIDE OF IT." 

"What about your whole 'recharge' thing??" 

"THAT WON'T BE AN ISSUE."  
Gesturing to their chassis.  
"THE PART YOU FREED OF MOSS GAVE ME ACCESS TO ANOTHER FUNCTION OF MINE WHICH WAS AN ENERGY SAVING MODE. I HAVE DEACTIVATED THAT AND NOW REQUIRE MORE REFUELING AND SUCH IN RETURN. BUT I CAN NOW STAY 'AWAKE' FOR LONGER TOO!! SO, WAITING OUTSIDE OF THIS 'GREENHOUSE' THING IS OF NO ISSUE TO ME. I WILL _NOT_ BE SUDDENLY FALLING OVER ANYTIME SOON!"  
Now placing their hands on their hips, they tilted their head.  
"WILSON, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DO NOT WANT ME ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR LAIR. YOU DO NOT TRUST ME, THEN?" 

"Nonono!! It's not that! And it's my _home_ that's near the greenhouse! Not a _lair_! Goodness- lair sounds so... evil??? Or like I'm some sort of beast."  
A sigh escaped him as he crossed his arms over his chest. Silent for a moment with his eyes fluttered shut... before opening them again and looking at their face. Their eyes slightly bigger and staring at him expectantly and... with hope.  
"Fine. Fine, _okay_. We can... go to the greenhouse today. IF you promise to _try_ not to mess anything up in there???"  
The robot showed a big smile and nodded...! 

"SHOW THE WAY! I WILL FOLLOW YOU!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greenhouse? And WX seeing more things? Wowie!


	5. The Greenhouse Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to; I am BAD at thinking of chapter names!

"ARE WE THERE YET?" 

"No." 

"ARE WE THERE YET?" 

"No." 

"ARE WE THERE YET?" 

"No..." 

"ARE WE THERE YET?" 

"Yes! _Yes_ , we are there! We are right there! Totally! Yes! Exactly! We've just started walking but _sure_! We're there!"  
An accusing finger was pointed at Wilson by the robot! 

"YOU LIED! I SEE NO GREEN, NOR DO I SEE A HOUSE!"  
The taller let out an exasperated sigh before hearing little robotic snickers emit from the smaller.  
"I WAS JOKING AROUND, WILSON. OF COURSE WE ARE NOT THERE YET. ALTHOUGH... IT WAS FUNNY TO SEE YOUR REACTION."  
 _Funny_? Wilson almost figured they'd have flinched again at his tiny outburst... maybe he was louder in his head than the reality? Or maybe they were comfortable enough around him...? He _really_ wasn't sure. Eitherway, he's glad he doesn't have to stop and make sure they're okay. Wouldn't want to scare them or anything like that. 'Friendship with a Robot'. It was something _he_ suggested as a possibility and he wasn't about to prove _himself_ wrong! 

"Haha, _very_ funny."  
He answered in a bit of a deadpan tone. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head as the two trudged on. Though WX soon moved to skip ahead a bit. Looking around before stopping and... following a butterfly. Wilson stopped to watch what they did. Watching them keep their hands apart- THEN CLAP THEM TOGETHER! Thankfully, they didn't catch the butterfly! Or rather- _smash_ the butterfly.  
"Don't kill it!" 

"KILL??" 

"Y'know... _kill_. End it's life? It's existence??" 

"MOIDER." 

" _Murder_ , yes. That stunt could have killed the poor thing." 

"... AH. I AM ATTEMPTING TO CAPTURE THE CREATURE." 

"Then you have to be more gentle."  
He walked over to the shorter. Carefully taking their hands and making them form a cupping motion with both.  
"If you keep the hand flat, you'd just crush the butterfly in-between." 

"BUTTERFLY."  
They repeated with a blink. Goodness, they sure were clueless... 

"The winged creature you tried to catch is called a 'butterfly'. What do _you_ call them?" 

"VERMIN."  
Wilson cringed.  
"MR. WAGSTAFF CALLS THEM THAT TOO." 

"Butterflies aren't _vermin_. Some look absolutely stunning, you know! Like roses!"  
The robot nodded slightly before turning their gaze and running over to a small patch of wild flowers. _**Pouncing**_!! Wilson rose a brow as WX got up. Their hands cupped together. Did... did they catch something? He approached... carefully leaning forward and taking hold of their wrists. Then they opened their hands up and out came a rather angry bee! It tried to sting the robot, however to no avail. Metal is a bit more difficult for it's stinger to get through. Still, Wilson let out a bit of a squeak as he pulled back. 

"... IT'S VIBRATIONS FELT SOOTHING!"  
The bee zipped off! The robot almost pouted as they lost sight of the small buzzing bee before looking over to Wilson.  
"HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE UNTIL WE FINALLY GET TO YOUR HOME?? I'LL NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE WAY BACK HERE, YOU KNOW. IF IT TAKES _DAYS_ TO GET BACK, THEN-" 

"You just need to be patient, WX." 

"I'VE BEEN PATIENT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. CAN WE HURRY UP?" 

"The patience?" 

"WAIT- WHAT?" 

"Hurry up the _patience_?"  
Wilson knew what they meant, of course. They wanted to pick up the pace! But he couldn't just miss out on this grand opportunity to mess with the robot a bit and atleast _try_ to get them confused! And confused they were. It looked like they were buffering in their head... trying to compute what they were told and trying to find the logic (or lack thereof) within the rose-tologist's words.  
"I'm messing with you, WX." 

"MESSING-?" 

"I'm kidding." 

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE _WILSON_." 

"No, I-!"  
Blink. He paused. Looking at them... WX-78 had a very clear smile on their face. Obviously amused at what they just pulled.  
"... Not. Funny." 

"FUNNIER THAN WHATEVER YOU'VE TRIED SO FAR." 

"Rude! I've made _tons_ of people laugh!" 

"NAME ONE." 

"........"  
A cricket was heard in the background. WX looked around briefly before looking back to Wilson.  
"... Let's just keep moving."  
Wilson tried really hard to ignore the robot's laughter as he lead the way. 

It did take some time to finally get past the thick forest, hopping logs and avoiding thorny bushes or branches poking out. Wilson didn't like his clothes possibly getting snagged. Though it took longer since the robot often got sidetracked with the wondrous sights of nature they'd never seen or simply knew next to nothing about! Getting to a large log that was practically a bridge over a river. Wilson hopped on! He'd done this a few times, finding this way to be a shortcut to get to the robot's usual resting place. Making it to the otherside with ease before glancing over to them. Who stayed practically rooted on the otherside. 

"...... NO." 

"What?" 

"I REFUSE TO CROSS THIS. IF I FALL, THE RESULT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC!"  
It took Wilson a moment... then he remembered! Right, if _rain_ damaged them... a river could mean certain death! Maybe? For the robot? Could robots even die? I mean, they could just be fixed like nothing ever happened, right-?  
" **WILSON**!!" 

"R-Right! Uh- alright... I'll..."  
He put his backpack down and got back up onto the large log. Balancing on it and walking over to the robot... then holding his hand out for them to grab. They still wouldn't budge. Squinting at his hand. Then at him.  
"... it's... not that bad. I promise!" 

"RIGHT, TOTALLY. AND FALLING OFF A CLIFF ISN'T THAT BAD EITHER, I PROMISE." 

"WX, I really-"  
They _could_ go the other way. But that would include trudging some way back and then taking a longer route! This was way quicker!  
"Look... just close your eyes, okay?" 

"CLOSE MY EYES??? DO YOU _REALLY_ WANT ME TO PERISH?!" 

"Trust me!" 

"I'D RATHER TRUST THE RUST ON MY METAL BEHIND!" 

"Is there rust still there? I suppose I can-" 

" **PERVERT!!** " 

"Woah, okay okay- _no_ \- I was joking-" 

"I DO NOT HAVE RUST THERE AND YOU ARE _DELUSIONAL_ IF YOU THINK I WILL STEP ANYWHERE NEAR THAT THICK BRANCH!!"  
Wilson took a deep breath. Counting to ten in his mind as he listened to the water of the river. It wasn't even rushing, it was a calm river! But alas, the robot was... scared. He supposed. So, he moved to hop to the otherside beside them. Kneeling down... and opening his arms up.  
"... WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO? ARE YOU GOING TO HOLD A SPEECH?" 

"No, just- stay still for me, okay?"  
They looked suspicious... before just nodding. Wilson carefully slipped his arms around their torso, their hands moving to rest on his shoulders as they blinked and looked around from somewhat higher up. Taking a deep breath, the rose-tologist pushed himself up with a huff! Carrying them now.  
"Can- Can you hook your legs around my waist?? It could make things easier...!"  
He already felt out of breath! But a sigh of relief that the robot listened to him _this_ time and did as he asked. 

Wilson took the first step onto the log. Hopping on! He almost stumbled a bit which lead to the robot letting out a loud beep that may aswell have been a shriek! Though he wasn't focused enough to tell. Holding onto them as their grip tightened on his vest. Then- he could feel them _shaking_. Seems like they truly feared for their life in this situation... 

"Hey... listen up..."  
The robot screwed their eyes shut. They weren't going to make it, were they?? He carefully walked across the log... wanting to get to the otherside with his backpack.  
"WX, listen- I've got another rose fact for you?"  
The rose-tologist gently rubbed their smooth metal back as he continued.  
"Did you know there was a rose that got sent to space?"  
He could feel them go a bit still at that. Smiling that he was able to grab their attention with that one!  
"In 2002, there was a miniature rose that was dubbed; 'Overnight Scentsation', that was sent to space to aid in studies. Mostly regarding the effects of low gravity on the smell of the rose and to also learn how to improve the fragrance of many consumer products." 

"... AND THE RESULTS...?" 

"They found that the rose was affected by the zero-gravity environment, and the overall fragrance that it had was now completely different! Making a whole new scent that was... _out of this world_."  
Hopping off the log now and letting out a tiny sigh of relief... all the talking while carrying them, was definitely taking a toll on him.  
"Instead of a- uh- green, fresh rosy note, the scent was instead changed to a floral rose aroma."  
There was silence for a good while after he finished.  
"W-WX, hey...?" 

"... YES?" 

"You... y-you can- let go, now... it's over. We're on the otherside. Safe."  
They looked down... nope- they didn't see the log anymore. Or water. Turning their head to Wilson. 

"NEVER DO THAT AGAIN." 

"My back is breaking and my entire body is feeling _numb_ , please let go."  
Leaning down to allow them to just drop off him! Landing on their metal feet. WX-78 glanced back at the river before shuddering and shaking their head. Though it seemed Wilson noticed that and smiled slightly. Catching his breath a bit and rubbing the back of his neck.  
"Don't worry, that isn't the only way back! I can bring you back the other route later! Though, I guess this just solidified that I need to exercise more to be able to carry you over those sort of obstacles. Who _knows_ what could happen in the future!" 

"THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!" 

"Never say never. Anyways! Greenhouse!" 

"THIS WHOLE THING BETTER BE WORTH IT!" 

"Doubtful, but eh. It's your choice, _you_ wanted to see it."  
He slipped his backpack back on. Stretching for a moment before sighing and marching on! With the rose-tinted robot in tow, following him through the forest that now began to clear up more and more. And soon- the two finally came across the rose-tologist's home with rose bushes littering the walls and area...  
Along with a greenhouse off to the side! 

WX-78's eyes widened as they looked around. Walking over almost timidly. Wilson chuckled, watching them go quiet while they looked around. Looking over every rose bush. The walls. The building. Then they ran over to the greenhouse! Their faceplate practically glued onto it's wall that they could see through. Where they could see all the plants and life inside it! It seemed like they were in complete and utter amazement, really. The taller walked over to the door. Leaning against it and waiting for the rosebot to finally snap out of their focused in gaze on the different roses they could see. Once they did, they looked over to him with big eyes. Curious as to what he had planned. 

Wordlessly, Wilson unlocked the door of the greenhouse and opened it up. Holding the door open and watching them practically hop up a few times in excitement! Running in quickly and letting out a happy sounding beep! 

"YES YES YES!! IT'S IN HERE! IT MUST BE IN HERE!"  
Wilson walked in, letting the door shut and watching them run around to look at all the floral. Or more specifically, all the roses.  
"LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS! LOOK AT ALL THE SIZES!"  
They ran to a bunch of pink ones. Looking over them in glee and wonder.  
"THIS ONE! TELL ME ABOUT THIS ONE!" 

"Oh, well- that's a Hybrid Tea Rose."  
The rose-tologist walked over to stand beside the robot. Gently cupping the rose.  
"Hybrid Tea Roses were created by cross-breeding two types of roses. Uhm- the hybrid perpetuals and tea roses! It is the oldest group of roses classified as 'Modern Garden Rose'. They feature large ornate blooms with thirty to _fifty_ petals! And they've got long stems too! There are many thousands of different hybrid tea roses that have been bred by now, though! With new introductions constantly replacing outdated varieties."  
They gleemed a bit at the info given. Marvelling. Then running to the next rose. And so, Wilson would give an explanation to each one. Smiling at their excitement. It was adorable, really. Then they stopped in their place. Pausing and blinking.  
"WX-? Is something the matter?" 

"AH. HOLD ON."  
WX-78 opened up their chassis. Reaching inside to try and carefully fumble for something...  
"I HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN. I DIDN'T GET TO TURN THE ENERGY SAVING MODE OFF QUITE YET. YOU WERE DISTRACTING ME!" 

"With my dashing good looks?" 

"YOU _WISH_."  
They rolled their eyes, shaking their head.  
"WITH YOUR TALKING, DUH. YOU TALK A LOT, YOU KNOW." 

"Well, I can dial it back more if you'd prefer-" 

"NO."  
The robot only spared him a single moment of eye-contact.  
"I LIKE LISTENING TO YOU TALK AND PRATTLE ON ABOUT STUFF."  
Then, they moved their gaze lower. Wilson blinked with a slight giddy smile on his face. Why, dare he say- that was one of the nicest things he's ever heard anyone say to him! Chuckling and rubbing the back of his head. 

"Ah- I'm glad you do! And uhm, I'm sure you'll... get to hear more about it! Y'know, I tend to like- ramble on and on, sometimes saying so much yet not even really talking about anything specific at all! It can quite literally be nothing of importance whatsoever and yet you'll see me talking for centuries about whatever that may be, since I usually never catch myself until it's much too late and by then, lots of people don't want to tell me since it also seems like I'm enjoying to myself! Although, one time this guy punched me in the face for talking too much. Or maybe because of my hair? I'm not quite sur-" 

"WILSON." 

"Yes-?" 

"YOU'RE RAMBLING."  
Wilson's face flushed from embarassment. Raising his hands and already letting out a whole string of apologies! Which really, only made the robot laugh as they shook their head.  
"IT'S FINE. I THINK IT'S AMUSING. AND I ALREADY SAID THAT I... LIKE LISTENING TO YOU PRATTLE ON AND ON. I HAVE NOT HEARD MANY HUMANS TALK AND WHILE I RECOGNIZE YOU ARE SEEMINGLY _ALL_ RATHER TALKATIVE, ACCORDING TO MY OBSERVATIONS... IT SOUNDS MORE NATURAL HEARING _YOU_ DO IT." 

"... WX, I..."  
The robot brushed past him. Their hands now on the glass walls.  
"Huh? What are you...?" 

"THESE. HOW DO YOU MAKE THEM? THE SEE-THROUGH WALLS."  
Surprised to see them interested in hearing an explanation that didn't have to do with roses! 

"Well, uh. You can burn sand to get glass, but- I just... _bought_ the greenhouse. Or, more accurately- paid people to build my greenhouse for me. I don't really... recommend burning your own glass together and all, though."  
They stared almost blankly at him.  
"They're... like windows- the plants can also still get sunlight from them and-" 

"WINDOWS?"  
Wilson sighed, did they not even know what windows were?  
"I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE WINDOWS IN MY CLOSET." 

"Wait- what?"  
WX fidgeted a bit, trying to find the right words to explain what they meant. 

"MR. WAGSTAFF HAD A ROOM FOR ME! IT WAS A SUITABLE LITTLE TIGHT CLOSET WHERE HE KEPT MANY OTHER TOOLS! WHENEVER I WASN'T INSIDE OF IT AND THOUGHT I HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO, I WOULD LOOK OUT ONE OF HIS WINDOWS TO WATCH THE SKY! THIS HAPPENED DURING NIGHTTIME A LOT, SO I STARED AT THE MOON! IT WAS BIG, PRETTY LOOKING AND- AND _POWERFUL_!"  
Keeping their hands on the glass now, they looked through it with curiousity and wonder. Awe and silent joy!  
"I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE MOON ALL THE TIME! BUT WHENEVER I ASKED MR. WAGSTAFF ABOUT HAVING A WINDOW IN MY CLOSET, HE ALWAYS SAID 'NO'. HE SAID IT WOULD, QUOTE ON QUOTE; DISTRACT ME. I KEPT IRRITATING HIM BY ASKING THOUGH."  
They shrugged, eyes lidded and not looking at Wilson. Still more fixated on the glass.  
"HE UH. THREW A WRENCH AT ME! BUT I MOVED MY HEAD SO IT DIDN'T HIT MY FACE! IT HIT THE CLOSET AND- WELL. TURNS OUT I CAN'T HAVE HAD A WINDOW IN THERE THAT WOULD SHOW ME THE MOON EVEN IF MR. WAGSTAFF HAD TRIED! THERE WAS ONLY A WALL BEHIND THE WOOD. STILL THOUGH! I GOT A HOLE TO PEEK THROUGH WHENEVER I WAS BORED! AND... I SUPPOSE IT WAS FULLY POSSIBLE FOR ME TO _IMAGINE_ THE MOON WAS THERE."  
The robot finally looked over to Wilson. Only to notice- him sniffling!! Their eyes widened as they pulled away from the glass wall and shook their head and hands! Almost flailing about!  
"H-HOLD ON! WHY ARE YOUR EYES LEAKING?? ARE YOU DAMAGED??? DO YOU NEED A FLESHLING REPAIRER???" 

"Th-That- would be a doctor... and no, I'm fine, I- WX, you... do realise that- what this 'Wagstaff' person does to you isn't... right? A living being shouldn't be treated this way, it's horrible! You're being treated unfairly, you-" 

"I'M NOT-?" 

"E-Excuse me?" 

"I'M NOT A LIVING BEING. THEREFORE, THE RIGHTS THAT ONE HAS, DOES NOT APPLY. I AM A MACHINE. A ROBOT. A TOOL. A MEANS TO AN END. SOMETHING THAT WAS MADE TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK AND SERVE THOSE THAT GAVE THEM THE CHANCE AND VERY _OPPORTUNITY_ TO EXIST."  
They look down to their own hands.  
"I AM METAL. _NOT FLESH_. I HAVE ENGINES. _NOT ORGANS_. I HAVE PROGRAMMES. _NOT EMOTIONS_. I WAS BUILT. _NOT BORN_."  
Their eyes fluttered shut, a synthetic sigh escaping them.  
" ** _I am just a robot._** " 

Wilson stared at the being before him. WX-78, a robot. A robot that can walk, talk, speak, think and learn. And... _feel_. This robot can feel, even if they may deny it. He stared at them. Placing his hands on their shoulders and for a moment, that's all that happened. What could he say? He needs time to gather his thoughts and form the right words... but WX was here. Right now. Saying all of that without hesitation! Yet, a hint of sadness and longing, considering their body language and tone...  
So, the rose-tologist did the only thing that came to mind at the moment after hearing all that. Pulling them close and hugging them! They were quiet... as if processing this entire situation they were put in. Then, hesitantly, placed their hands on his back and held on. Trying to mimic the amount of strength Wilson put into this... what even was it? 

"ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO CHOKE ME? I AM A ROBOT, YOU REALIZE THIS, YES? I AM RELATIVELY SURE I SAID IT A GOOD FEW TIMES AND HAMMERED MY POINT ACROSS. NOT TO MENTION YOUR OPTICAL SENSORS- YOUR _EYES_ THAT WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AT-" 

"It's a hug, WX. An _embrace_."  
He sighed. Slightly angered that he had to explain it to them. But not angered at _them_ , gods no! Angered at their creator for not allowing them so much... warping their way of thinking to be so harsh on themself. A robot? A lesser being? They showed themselves to be so much more!  
"It's what you do for someone to... show that you care about them." 

"... CARE? YOU CARE?"  
The taller nodded. Still holding onto them. They still seemed to be... confused. Lost. What is he caring about? Their task? Their abilities? Or was it... their well-being? But that was ridiculous! They were fine! Systems optimized! Sure, there was some rust and moss here and there in the nooks and cranies, but...  
"...... A HUG. _I like this 'HUG'_."


End file.
